Driver’s license now part of annual registration trip to treasurer’s office

It's a good idea to make sure you have your driver's license on your annual trip to the treasurer's office to renew your vehicle registration.

County treasurers are making that suggestion based on an effort from the state Division of Vehicles to streamline and modernize record keeping of people and businesses that own vehicles.

“We are trying to get our records all up to date so we can get on the new program,” said Janice Young, Leavenworth County treasurer. “This will make sure that a person’s driver’s license coincides with their motor vehicle information.”

The state is trying to modernize its vehicle records to follow federal guidelines linked to recommendations from the 9-11 Commission. The Division of Motor Vehicles also is updating its computer system.

Essentially, in Kansas, the state is asking every person and agency involved in the process of vehicle purchases and registrations to be on the same page. The key is to ensure the legal name of the vehicle's owner — a person or a business — is listed on the title.

For individuals, counties are asking to make sure the registration titles match the owner’s name on a driver's license or identification card — a complete legal name with no nicknames included. For businesses, titles should match a businesses’ documentation in a federal directory.

Carmen Alldritt, the state’s director of vehicles, put out a memo giving an example showing the problems with the old system. Currently a vehicle belonging to John Q Public could also be registered as John Public, JQ Public and Johnny Public.

Young said her staff members right now are only requesting residents show their driver's license when they renew their vehicle registrations.

Douglas County Treasurer Paula Gilchrist said the federal push for consistency in vehicle records stems from concerns about states being able to share information with one another in multiple-state criminal investigations involving suspected terrorists or kidnappings that require an Amber Alert.

"We are not going to be taking personal information in our office," Gilchrist said. "But we do want to have some sort of information where we can specifically identify an individual who may be crossing state lines in a criminal case."